Pneumatic valve-action for player-pianos.



No. 895,220. I v PATENTBD AUG. 4, 1908. J. WIESER.

- PNEUMATIC VALVE ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANO;

urucnma rmzn rm. 1. 190a. I s *1 f 1 V anus-42mm 1. v

No. 895,220. mum 1119.4, 1908.. J. WIBSER. U h H y PNEUMATIC VALVE ACTION FOR PLAYER Pumas.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1,1903. 4

2 sums-81mm: 2.

JOSEPH WIESER, OF NEW YORK, Y

PNEUMATIC VALVE-ACTION FOR PLAYEmrIANos. 1

Specification '0! Letters Patent.

Patented .Augl 1 908.

Applicationfiled February 1, 1908. Serial No.413,84l. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH WIESER, a citizen of the United States; residing in New York, in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of Yew-York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Valve-Actions for Player-Pianos,

' two transverse rails which are locate of which the following is a specification.

This invention reietes to an improved pneumatic valve-action for plsyer-pianos which is located above the rear-ends of the key-levers in the space between the frontpanel of the upright piano-case end the piano-ections such a mannerthet the iano-actions ere actuated, not by the keyevers, but by lifters connected with the hammer-jack supporting levels, the actions being arranged in tiers vertically one above the other and the motion of the actuating bellows transmitted by intermediate levermechanisms to the lifters; and for this purpose the invention consists in the novel tea-I tures of construction which will be fully described hereinei'ter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying-drawings, Figure 1 represents a. V8: heel transverse section of my improved nemesis-tie valve-actions for playerpianos, ta en on line 1, 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. '2 is a front-elevation of a number of pneumatic val've'gactions shaming the trensmittingmecb enisms operated by the same, the valve-actions being arranged in tiers vertically one above the other in front of the piano-actions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, a a re resent above the rear-ends of the key-levers in the space between the upper front-.vall of an upright iano-case and the isno-actions, the rail a eing made of er shape, while the rail a is made of obiong shape, both being supported in a suitable manner on the frame of the upright piano- On the upper transverse rail (L are supported two tiers of pneumatic valve-actions 5 -5 while on the lower rail a are likewise supported two tion: of valve-ections 1) I), the lower group of tiers being slightly set back relatively to theupper group of tiers so as to pmvide the requiredspace for the motion-transmitting mechanisms:-

Each tier is composed of s certain number ofindividual pneumatic valve-actions of the coils struction shown in the application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me on July 27, 1907, Serial No. 385,888, and ofiicislly allowed on-September 23, 1907. In the space between the upper and lower groups of tiersof valve-actions b bis arranged a third transverse rail a, which serves for supporting as many elbow-levers d as there are valve-actions in the u er and lower tiers, which elbow-levels are lcrumed to the rail (1 and connected at their upper ends by pivot-links d provided with ad ustable buttons d with the projecting toesd on the movable members of the bellows e actuated by the valve-actions in the upper and lower groups of tiers. The lower arm of each elbow-lever dis connected by a vertical wire f provided with adjustable buttons f at its upper and lower threaded ends, with the front-end of a lever f which is fulcrumed to a. lug f 3 attached to the lower rail a. The opposite or rearend of the lever f is connected y a lifter-rod 9 provided with a threaded lower end and an adjustable button g on said end, and with a fixed button 9 at the upper end, with'the supporting lever h of a corresponding piano-action, said lever being fulcrunied to the upper end of the abstract 'u in theusuel manner. I

The hammer-jack, damper and other arts of the izmo-action are su ported on the ever It in t 1e usual manner, t 1e upper lifter-button g acting on the felt-cushioned front-pots tion of the lever 72, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. On the lower threaded partof the lifter-rod g is arranged a weight g by which the operative parts described, \'iz., the elbow-lever (1, connecting rod or wire f fulcrumed transmitting lever f and lifter-rod g, are returned into normal position sis soon as the pneumatic valve-action has been operated. The lifterrods 9 are guided in guide-openings of a fourth transverse rail a, the front-part of which is provided with a felt-cushion for the inoval le members of the bellows of the lower tiers of valvevactions, while a fifth rail a, which is also provided with a. front-cushion. serves for arresting the movable members 0.

the bellows of the upper tiers of valve-actions.

In front of each elboswlever (l is arranged in the Iowa-(part of the raila an adjustable stopcushion the shank (Z of which passes through the lower part of the rail a into the recessed front-portion of the same, so that the heads of the shanks (an be adjusted fromv b the front of the piano on removing the frontpanel, and thereby the oscillating movement 7 or throw of the elbow-levers (I under the inj heyertical motion of the lifter-rods connectel-l with the elbow-levers can be accurately ,wiic-h is connected aild el fectively controlled. Each valve-action is connected by a small rubber-tube i with the corresponding channel of the tracker which is supported at a suitable point in the case abovev the upper tiers of valve-actions. The rubber-tubes of the upper tiers, of valve-actions, as well as the rubber t-ubes of the lower tiers of valveactions, are located in parallel grooves in the front-walls of the upper tier of valveact-ions so asrto keep them in proper posi- 'tionf The lower ends of the rubbertubes i are connected by curved channels i with the valve-actions of the upper tiers and by curved tubes 5, with the valve-actions of the lower tiers, as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as an openin in the perforatedmusic-sheet passes over the inlet-opening of the trackerchannel, the corresponding valve-action is o erated in the usual manner, the bellows therewith being collapsed, and thereby the intermediate niotiont-rzmsmitting lever-mechanism and the lifter-rod actuated and the corresponding. iano-action operated and the string sounded y the blow of the hammer. As soon as the inlet-opening in the tracker is closed, the

valve-action is returned to its normal posi- I tion, the bellows expanded and the motiontransnnttmg lever-mechanism and hfter-rod returned to their normal position of rest,

ready for the next action.

For preventing any interference of the bellows and their closely-arranged motion-transmitting lever-mechanisms, the stationary members of the bellows of the upper tiers of valve-actions are arran ed sidewise of esch other and connected with their valve-actions by openings 0 0 respectively in the upper and middle portions of the stationary members of the bellows, while the bellows'of the lower tiers of valve-actions are also provided with connecting openings 0 0 in the stationary members at their middle and lower portions, the bellows being arranged in staggeredjrelation, that is to say, having their transverse center planes outof vertica nlmement with those of the bellows in theopposite row. In order that this arrangement of the bellows may be effected, it is necessary that the valve-actions of the lower tiers be arranged in staggered relation with respect to those of the upper tiers, as shown. The motion-transmitting lever-mechan- 151115 are located equidistantly alongside of each other in such a manner that they do not interfere with each other when the bellows are collapsed by the suction-action of the power-bellows on their valve-actions when a hole in the music-sheet passes over the tracker-ehamiel. In this manner the action of the bellows and the motion-transmitting lever-mechanisms for the piano-actions can be all arranged in the space above the key levers. The wind-chests of tl1e'valveactions are connected at the ends of the upper and lower 'tiers'by' vertical channels with the power-bellmvs operated by the pedals. The entire pneumatic valve-mechanism is capable of removal for repairs on removing the front-panel of the upper part of the pianocase. r

- Having thus described my invention, I

claim asnew and-desire to secure bylietters and to which bellows of both groups are alternately connected, and lifting mechanism operated from said levers.

w 3. The combination, with upper and lower groups of pneumatic valve-actions arranged in tiers, of upper and lower groups of bellows arranged at the rear of said valve-actions, the bellows of one group being staggered with respect to the other group, a plurality of fulcrumed levels in the s ace between the valveactions and to whic 1 the bellows of said groups are alternately connected, and lifting mechanism operated from said levers.

4. The combination, with upper and lower groups of valve-actions arranged in tiers, and bellows connected with said valve-actions, of a rail between the two groups of valve-actions, a plurality of lovers fulcrumed' on said rail, and lifting mechanism operated by said levers.

5. The combination, with upper and lower groups of valve-actions, and upper and lower groups of bellows connected therewith at the rear thereof, of lifting mechanism comprisii rods operated by both groups of bellows an arranged below the upper ,group'and' at the rear of the lower group.

6. The combination, with upper and lower groups of valve-actions, and upper and lower groups of bellows connected therewith at the rear thereof, of lifting mechanism operated by both groups of bellows and comprising connections extending downwardly in front of the lower group of valve-actions and upwardly at the rear of said group. i

7. The combination, with upper and lower groups of valve-actions, ofv upper and lower groups of bellows connected therewith at the reer of the same,,ham1ner-jaok supporting level-sat the rear of '.the bellows, levers eon nected with the bellows of both groups and arranged in the space betweenthe groups of 5 valve-actions, and lifting rods operated from said levers and abutting at thei'r'up'per ends against said hammer-jack supporting levers.

8. The combination, with e pneuinsticvalve-action and a bellows operated thereby,

of a fulcrumed lever mounted above the valve-action, a. connecting rod or wire connected with said lever and extending downwardly in front ofthe valve-action, a lifting rod at the rent of the valve-action, an o era- 5 .tive connection between said lifting r0 rod.

and

/ said connecting rod below the valve-action, and a piano-action operated by said lifting with u peer and lower of bel ows connected with said valve-actions at the rear thereof, lifting rods arranged at the rear of the bellows ofthe lower group of valve-actions, and connections between said lifting rods and said bellows comprising connecting rods at the front of the lower group of valve-actions, and levers pivoted below said lower group of valve-actions and upon which said connecting rods and said lifting rods rest.

In testimony, that I claim the my invention, I have signed my heme in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W1ESER.

9. The combination,

groups of velre-actions,

Witnesses:

. PAUL GOEPEL,

l v HENRY J. Sunnninn;

foregoing es 

